


Today and Today and Today

by Hanzohara



Category: BanG Dream! Girl's Band Party! (Video Game)
Genre: F/F, Just Kaoru things:, Macbeth has death and stuff so watch out for that if you dont like that stuff, Singlehandedly enacted out Macbeth on the first date.
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-26
Updated: 2018-12-26
Packaged: 2019-09-27 15:01:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,930
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17164157
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hanzohara/pseuds/Hanzohara
Summary: It's natural to be nervous for your first date right? It's completely natural. Especially when your date is the Kaoru of Haneoka's Drama Club. Maybe other people in Rimi's shoes wouldn't be nervous, but it's not anyone in Rimi's shoes. It's Rimi in Rimi's shoes. And she is most definitely, one-hundred percent nervous.





	Today and Today and Today

**Author's Note:**

> My topic of choice out of the options was 'Rimi and Kaoru going on a first date' mixed with 'Kaoru reading Rimi Shakespeare'! It was definitely a lot of fun to write, and I hope you enjoyed it recipient! Have a great Christmas everyone, and for those that don't celebrate, have a good end of the year!.

Anything but gentle are the hands that anxiously wring ‘round Rimi’s wrists. For the millionth time that day, she sucks in a breath and raises from the lower bunk in the direction of the door. She quickly makes her way into the bathroom, staring at her reflection, her appearance, and just as every previous time she thinks she sees some imperfection.

A hair out of place perhaps, or a wrinkle in her top that surely would be noticed immediately. The nervousness that draws her hands together and twists them uncomfortably around one another returns full force, and Rimi forces herself to take a deep breath. She looks fine, better than fine even. Her sister had affirmed her of this, doted over the outfit she had helped decide one and if nothing else, her sister’s opinion meant very much to her.

It was nothing over the top, a soft yellow skirt down to just above her knees with cream polka dots sparsely decorating it. A sleeveless white blouse tapered off just before it reached the waistline of the skirt, revealing a cream-toned long sleeve undershirt, similar to the decorations of her skirt. White over-the-knee boots finished her outfit, courtesy of Yuri’s closet that the older girl had claimed would go nicely. It was nothing fancy, but Yuri had assured her Kaoru would adore the outfit, offhandedly mentioning that she needn’t worry about Kaoru disliking anything she wore. Her sister had quietly added on that the girl would probably adore her if she showed up in a potato sack, finding some sort ‘fleeting’ sense in it. That thought had calmed her enough, getting a gentle giggle out of her as Yuri had bid her good luck and goodbye as she left for the live house.

Now that it was just her though, she couldn’t help but stare at her reflection, chewing on her lip gently. Maybe just some light makeup? Surely a little couldn’t hurt.

There are a couple various pieces lying around on the countertop and she’s only able to get on a little bit of pale pink lipstick before she suddenly hears a knock to the front door.

_Oh god, oh geez she’s here._

Rimi struggles to maintain steady hand as she applies another firmer layer of lipstick before she caps it and rushes back to her room. She wildly looks around for her purse because where where _where_ did she put it!? There! Lying half under the blankets on the bottom bunk, she grabs it by the handles and tugs it out. She takes a moment to confirm that everything is inside, her phone, wallet, student ID just in case? Whatever, it worked. As she’s heading for the door, she pauses by the bathroom, hesitantly stepping inside to grab that lipstick and slide into one of the pockets before approaching the door. She hesitates for a moment, staring at the polished wood before sucking a breath and steeling herself before all but wrenching the door open.

There on the other side, right on time Rimi offhandedly thinks, is Kaoru looking as beautiful as ever. Giving her a far-from-discrete up and down, Rimi is both overcome with a sense of awe and embarrassment. High-waisted jeans that were precious fitting enough to show off her curves made Rimi very aware of the blush rising up her cheeks and the fact that she was staring unabashedly. Brown ankle boots covered the bottoms of the jeans seamlessly, and went well with the striped brown-white long sleeve she was wearing. And a long flannel jacket that easily fell down past her knees. _Flannel._ Rimi awkwardly shifted her weight from one foot to the other because _wow_. She felt really underdressed compared to Kaoru.

“Look at you, my little kitten…” Rimi only feels the blush enhance at that as Kaoru reaches out to place a hand over her upper arm, running it down until it rests over her hand. “You look gorgeous… how lucky must I be. Beauty is a truly fleeting thing, but it comes to you so easily.”

“A-aha… I should be saying that. You look… wow.” Her voice is soft, doing the thoughts in her head little justice for just how good Kaoru looked. 

Her shoulder rolls to adjust the purse on her shoulder as she steps out onto the patio, and Kaoru takes a step back in turn to allow her enough space as she turns to lock the door behind her. Once she’s turned back around Kaoru offers her arm out in a flourish, giving Rimi a charming smile as she links them and they set off.

She recalls Kaoru mentioning in the text she would definitely want to stop by the cafe near Yamabuki Bakery and the direction they’re heading in confirms that. That alone is enough for Rimi to feel some excitement over the anxiousness, because that particular cafe did business with the Yamabuki’s including promoting several of the baked goods the bakery was known for. And among that list were the coveted cornets. The bounce in her step doesn’t go unnoticed by her date, and Kaoru fondly chuckles, clasping their fingers together.

“I’m glad you’re looking forward to this… I confess it has been taxing on my heart having to wait for this day.” Rimi glances up toward Kaoru, and finds her gazing ahead with a small smile on her lips. “I deliberated for a little while where I wanted to take you after the cafe as a little surprise since it’s our first date, but after receiving a second opinion and some help from a friend, I’ve just got it ready.”

Oh, so it wouldn’t just be a lunch date; Rimi felt more curious than anxious now. There wasn’t a whole lot to do downtown besides a couple of the fancier restaurants, and maybe a take a train to the city, but she had a feeling that wasn’t quite what Kaoru was talking about. As expected though, when she inquired to it, Kaoru’s response had been a gentle squeeze to her hand and a wink.

“Ah, my dearest, know that I am very eager to tell you, but it is a surprise.”

Troublesome as it was, Rimi understood and accepted it, focusing instead on Kaoru once again. Now that she’s up close, she can get a better look at her clothes, and with Kaoru guiding her to the cafe, she can shamelessly stare all she wants. The flannel jacket is surprisingly soft, now that she can feel it against her hand and if she hadn’t been stunned by them now, the jeans did an even better job showing of her legs up close. She hadn’t noticed it from the front view, but looking at her from the side, she could now see that Kaoru’s hair was pulled back into a low bearing ponytail, violet hair reaching the center of her back easily. Maybe she should have done something with her hair aside from the firm brush through and a little bit of braiding on one side but there’s not time to think about that now. The time for that is far past, and Kaoru’s also thoroughly put to bed any worries about her attire being lackluster

They arrive to the cafe after a while, and they are guided to a booth where they sit across from one another. Rimi quickly takes the menu, giving the waiter a kind nod as she begins to look through. Kaoru orders a water, and Rimi murmurs the same as she looks through the pastry section. Sure enough, there they are! At a decent price, which makes the deal even sweeter.

“That smile looks heavenly on you, if I may say as much my dear.” Ah, had she really been so happy? Rimi’s blush rises again as she raises her gaze to Kaoru. Had she been staring the entire time waiting for Rimi to start up their conversation again? “And that shine in your eyes, why it’s almost criminal that we don’t get to see it so often. But perhaps that charm therein lies in its fleeting nature…”

“You’re just saying that, aha…”

“Nonsense! I mean every word I say with only the utmost admiration for you!”

The waiter returns with their drinks, sparing Rimi from any further compliments on Kaoru’s part, but she’s wise enough to know she isn’t out of the woods yet. While he’s there, Kaoru informs him they’re both ready to order and a notepad and pencil are procured from his apron. Kaoru orders first, requesting some kind of cream cheese fruit pastries while Rimi, of course, orders some cornets and throws in a butter croissant. They make a little idle chatter about their bands and other things as they wait for the food to get here, and Rimi gets the opportunity to admit her reservations over Poppin’ Party’s upcoming wardrobe changes, and Kaoru is an attentive listener taking her words in thoughtfully and offering some support over it. On the other hand, Kaoru speaks of some kind of upcoming play that her school will be doing and how offhandedly mentioning it during practice had resulted in Kokoro excitedly stating she wanted to make a show around the idea of ‘Romeo and Juliet’ to which Kaoru had, of course, readily agreed to.

She’s in the middle of describing the outfit Kokoro and Kaoru had thought up when the water returns, both plates of fresh baked goods placed on the table, and the waiter gives a quick bow of thanks for their patience before returning toward the kitchen. Rimi’s eyes light up at the sight of the cornets, because warm and fresh meant melty chocolate, and melted chocolate was arguably much better than normal. Her first bite confirms just that, and she sighs a pleased and loud sigh as she tastes the chocolate. Sweet, and rich, just like Yamabuki Bakery to deliver.

“You wrote a song about those chocolate cornets once , didn’t you? You must really enjoy them.”

“Ah- yes… they’re really good on their own but the ones specifically from Yamabuki Bakery are really good.” She pauses to take another bite, smiling as she tastes even more chocolate this time. “Most of the ones I get are really fresh, so the bread is still crispy and warm enough to melt the chocolate inside. And the chocolate they use isn’t too bitter or too rich, it’s just the right kind and I… I’m uh.. I’m rambling about it…” She averts her eyes out of embarrassment, hastily setting down the cornet. “In short yeah… they’re really good.”

When she glances to Kaoru though, she only sees her resting her head over her hand, watching her fondly.

“How cute… you make them sound so astonishing… I can’t help but want to try one. You see, I’ve always taken more towards fruity pastries…” For a moment, Kaoru’s gaze flicks toward the half eaten cornet, and then it’s back on Rimi.

“U-uh, if you want! You can have the rest of this one! To try them, I mean.” Kaoru’s smile widens and she gives a firm nod.

“Thank you so kindly… I know how much you love them, I shall cherish this bite.” And so she does, takes the cornet up and takes a decent bite. Judging by how far she ate, she definitely got to the larger section of the chocolate, and Rimi confirms this when she pulls away and quickly reaches for a nearby napkin. Rimi giggles in spite of herself, taking the remaining segment of the cornet and biting from it eagerly. Kaoru has always had a thing for maintaining her appearance, it’s kind of cute in it’s own way how she turns away to wipe her face of any remaining chocolate. 

“...Do you like them?” She asks after giving Kaoru a moment to clean her mouth and she quickly receives an affirmative him.

“Truly a good taste but… perhaps a little messy for my tastes, ahaha…”

Rimi can concede that much. They’re definitely messy if they’re fresh and you bite only halfway through the center. As long as the chocolate stays inside the cornet though, you’re pretty safe.

“Well… I’m uh, I’m glad that you tried them at least! I only hope that the mess wasn’t too big and all…”

“N-not at all my dear!” Kaoru’s quickly facing ahead again, giving her a wide smile and making to eat one of her own fruit pastries.

The remainder of their meal is spent quietly, Rimi occasionally speaking up to try and get Kaoru to concede something further about their destination after this, but Kaoru is nothing if not persistent. She doesn’t let off so much as a hint about it and eventually Rimi steers her questions away from the topic. At one point, she even inquires about Kaoru’s pastries and is rewarded with the offer to try one as thanks for letting her try a cornet. The jelly inside it is surprisingly tangy given that it’s a strawberry based jelly, but it has it’s appeal, and Rimi does enjoy it. Kaoru offers to share more of them, but Rimi quickly shakes her head in response, going so far as to raise her hands to try and dismiss the thought.

When the waiter comes by once more to check on them, Kaoru requests for the check to come by and he nods in understanding. He returns with the check and when it’s placed on the table, both of them reach for it quickly.

“Ah, please let me my dear. I wouldn’t feel right taking you out here only to make you pay.”

“I-I can’t just let you do it… you’ve gone through and planned this whole day, I don’t want you to be the one doing everything for our first date…”

She can see out the corner of her eye the waiter giving them an amused smile and stating that he would give them time, just wave him down when they’re prepared to head out. As he turns to go deal with other tables, Kaoru gives an insistent tug on the check.

“Come now… it would hardly be becoming of me…”

“No.” It’s the firmest thing she’s said all day, and Rimi’s brows furrow in determination. “Let me... at least… at least let me pay half. I don’t want to make it seem like I only want to receive things in this relationship…” She tapers off before hastily adding. “T-that is if we decide we want to go forward after this date.”

Kaoru considers her words and eventually gives her a nod, letting go of the check and digging a hand into her pocket. She pulls out her wallet and Rimi eyes it suspiciously until the other girl pulls out a couple yen notes to place on the table. Doing a quick bit of math, she can see it’s roughly half of what the check says, and Rimi smiles. She quickly pulls out her half of the payment and sets the admittedly more worn bills down on the table beside Kaoru’s. The waiter comes by to take them up, counting them out and giving both girls a bow and thanks for choosing the restaurant After bidding them to have a good rest of their day, they exit.

“Now then! We’re right on time!”

Kaoru’s hand is offered this time, and Rimi pauses for a second before taking it. Kaoru begins off in a different direction, and Rimi follows after, hesitantly adjusting so that she entwines their fingers together. It’s time to see just where Kaoru intended to bring the two of them, and Rimi can’t help the eagerness in her heart. It couldn’t be another restaurant… and it was shaping up to be somewhere in town, so no bus rides to the city. That meant nowhere too terribly up there, like the aquarium or the theme park in the city.

When Haneoka comes into sight though, Rimi finds herself incredibly confused. This is a fair bit away from the downtown, and she can’t say she really frequents the area enough to know it. Maybe there’s something super cool around here the Kaoru knows about. When they don’t change their direction and instead enter onto school grounds, Rimi is even more confused, if not a little worried because it kind of feels like she’s intruding on the grounds. Still… she trusts Kaoru enough to go along with her, though her grip on Kaoru’s hand tightens to reflect her worries.

“Ah my dear, we are almost there so fret not. I have made these plans in advance with an associate and dear friend of mine.”

The halls of Haneoka aren’t too different to the ones of Hanasakigawa, though the layout throws her off a bit. If they were in Haneoka, they would be well on their way toward the athletic halls, but as they pass through a door, it becomes clear that’s not the case here, They pass by a couple doors without windows, and a door that has several wires trailing into it that gets her curiosity. It’s at this particularly door, in fact, that Kaoru stops by and lets go of Rimi’s hand to knock firmly on it. Rimi watches in further curiosity as Kaoru steps back enough to allow the door to swing open, revealing another girl, one she assumes goes here.

She’s got sandy brown hair that’s tied back into a small, loose ponytail and a green jacket slung around her waist. Behind squared glasses, the girl’s eyes flick between Kaoru and then to Rimi, remaining there for a second before returning to Kaoru.

“Kaoru, good to see you!”

Rimi knows she’s heard that voice before somewhere, and her brows furrow in thought. But where from? She looks kind of familiar too, but she can’t say she really knows anyone who wears glasses like that. She’d definitely have remembered it.

“Maya my kitten~” Although upon saying that, ‘Maya’ stops Kaoru with a sudden wave of her hands that surprises Rimi just as much as it does Kaoru.

“E-eh- no no. You have a girlfriend now Kaoru! You can’t be calling anyone and everyone kittens!” The other girl’s lips draw into a firm frown and she shakes her head enough that the hat she’s wearing slides to the side. “Rimi’s right here! Save your pet names for her, and her alone Kaoru!”

Beside her, Kaoru gives an awkward chuckle and sheepishly raises a hand to her neck. That itself is another thing Rimi doesn’t see often; that is, Kaoru anything but confident. It’s cute in its own way, and Rimi giggles softly as she gets reprimanded.

And then she has to think, because this ‘Maya’ knows Rimi from somewhere, and she feels really bad now about not recognizing her. She tries to wrack her brain for where she might have met this girl, and then it hits her, and she feels at once incredibly stupid, and also very honored.

“Wait- Maya, like Pastel*Palettes Maya?”

Maya turns to her and gives a nod, although she seems to be blushing out of embarrassment from the recognition.

“Hu-hehe… ah yeah, that’s me… not the neat idol you performed on the same stage with, huh? Sorry about the mess.”

“Ah, I don’t think that!” She replies hastily, red eyes wide. “Y-you actually look cute with your glasses on as well! You should, uh… perform in them.”

“Eeeh!?”

“Aha, see my dear, I’ve told her the same thing!”

“N-no no, I really shouldn’t! It’s unbecoming and uh… y’know that’s that!” Maya states firmly, and then turns to Kaoru quickly. “Uh, the stage is lit up and ready, just text me whenever you’re done and I’ll come lock up.”

And then she’s quickly turning on heels, not even bothering to lock the supposed lighting room as she rushes toward the other end of the hall. Rimi watches her go for a second, dumbfounded by the abruptness of her disappearance before Kaoru tugs on her hand.

“Ah well… you heard her! The stage is ours~”

“S-stage? Is that what you had planned for us?”

“Precisely right my dear.” The door to the auditorium opens and just as Maya had promised, the stage has indeed been lit up. Rimi is apprehensive, if only because she’s never taken to being on stage well, whether or not there are people or otherwise. Sure, time with the band has made it much more bearable, but now she’s seemingly going to be on it for some reason with Kaoru, star actress Kaoru, she feels a little uneasy.

The lights are quite warm once they stand beneath them, very bright and Rimi has a sudden newfound respect for Kaoru, standing and monologuing and who knows what else all beneath this light because wow, it’s kind of overpowering in a way. Kaoru lets go of Rimi’s hand to her displeasure, disappearing toward one side of the stage and returning with one of those foldable metal chairs. She sets it before the light and motions for Rimi to have a seat.

“Ah… you see, I was informed by a mutual friend of ours that you are quite fond of horror stories, so I thought perhaps I could introduce you to the great bard through one of his more… dark works. I myself am not so privy to it but I think you might enjoy it. I would be honored if you let me go through it for you.”

It’s true; horror stories have a certain effect on her, the heart-pounding excitement of wondering what might happen without it truly happening to her. She enjoyed watching how characters reacted to the events, finding common tropes in books, but she’s never really read through older plays. Now that she thinks about it, it’d be quite interesting to see if some of these tropes derive from something in Shakespeare’s works. Rimi gives Kaoru a nod, watching her expectantly.

“I-I think I’d like that…”

Kaoru’s expression brightens at that, and she straightens up her back.

“A-ah! That’s great news! A one person play is a very… difficult thing to accomplish with so many actors as there are in this work, but I have worked around this in a couple places… Maya was so very kind enough to lend to me the controls to the soundboard and the lighting through a panel on the back of the stage… I intend to tell you the story of Macbeth.”

Wordlessly Rimi nods, watching with wide eyes as Kaoru heads in the direction of the panel she had mentioned earlier.

“If it pleases you, feel free to close your eyes! It may make the telling more immersive for you, as I will be playing the background audio used in this school’s own performance a couple years ago.”

As the idea presents itself, Rimi does let her eyes fall shut and she’s met with relative quiet. Of course, she can hear Kaoru’s footsteps slowly growing quieter as she walks towards the wall. The nothingness behind her closed eyes goes a little darker it seems, and it’s gone all but completely quiet. Then from nothing she can hear a soft click off to her right, and she holds back on the desire to open her eyes and peek. 

A resounding boom sounds on the speakers above, and Rimi squeaks out of surprise as the recording begins with a crack of lightning and the unmistakable sound of rainfall. Occasionally, another lightning sounds and Rimi is so focused on it that when Kaoru speaks up again, she’s right next to her and Rimi’s eyes suddenly open in surprise.

“When shall the witches three meet again? They talk among one another for a good deal of time, deliberating until at last they decide:

When the battle is lost and won  
When they see the setting sun  
Upon the heath  
Will they meet Macbeth.”

Now she understands properly how Kaoru intends to do this. Sort of the roll of a narrator, to describe the events to her, while her theatrical persona still comes out. It’s the part of her Rimi admits she had drawn to at first, so confident and so sure of herself. It comes to light here, the way she says aloud the words and Rimi has no doubt in her mind that they are correctly read from the script. Kaoru walks around, that she can look at Rimi properly as she recites the lines from memory and Rimi watches her in awe as she leans in.

“In this world fair is foul and foul is fair: hover through the fog and filthy air.” And then the storm sounds overpowering on the speakers all around, and Rimi just _knows_ from the sounds alone that this is where the dialogue ends.

Sure enough, Kaoru begins to walk off toward the wall again and Rimi, eager to see where this goes from the witches three, closes her eyes and listens intently for the next setting. The sound she’s met with is different, no storms and no rain, no ambient wind in the background which confuses her. Here though she can clearly hear as Kaoru approaches her once more. As she approaches, Rimi tries the same thing she does when she reads: that is, imagine the scene in her head as clearly as she can, play it out like a movie. The only difference here is that she doesn’t have to imagine the sounds of oncoming footsteps, creaks in doors or sounds like that. Not even the dialogue because Kaoru does a stunning job as she suddenly barks out.

“What bleeding man is this, that carries with him a report, as seemeth by his plight of the revolt, thy newest state!”

She imagines very clearly a man entering the stage, one in armor because that is the first thing that comes to mind, with blood that comes in between chest guard and his lower armor. Approached by Kaoru, as she leaps into a long winded reply to her own question, explaining his case. Rimi can imagine the scene he comes from, a brutal warfield by the sound of it. And then the namesake is used, ‘brave Macbeth who disdains fortune’ brought victory. As Kaoru announces the sergeants exit in place of two more men, she opens her eyes to watch Kaoru once again. She stands several feet away, still facing Rimi in a way that she catches Rimi’s eyes when she opens them and gives her a charming smile as she continues explaining the scene. And then as she seems to be closing the setting after Macbeth supposedly receives two victories, Kaoru says something that Rimi remembers from the first scene.

“What he hath lost, the noble Macbeth has won.”

Before she can exclaim in the midst of Kaoru’s reciting, the girl suddenly turns away and when she reaches the panel, the lights on the stage go dark. She struggles to see anything, assuming this is another part of the play where the scenes transition. The sound of buzzing, ambient wind rustling through trees rises into the stage and immediately Rimi closes her eyes, imagines a dark forest and soon enough the three witches are in the scene once more, speaking once more amongst one another.

“But lo’ hear the drums!” And so she does, a steady beat oncoming not unlike one of the songs Poppin’ Party does, and she can hear exaggerating stomps as Kaoru comes closer to her, until she can feel a hand on her shoulder. “All hail to Macbeth! Thane of Glamis! All hail to Macbeth, Thane of Cawdor! All hail to Macbeth! He shalt be king hereafter! Indeed, all hail Macbeth and Banquo!”

The rest of the scene plays out, and Rimi eagerly listens in as Kaoru describes Macbeth and Banquo’s confusion. As far as they know the thane of Cawdor still lives, she says, yet that comes crumbling down when that Ross character from earlier enters the scene, and Kaoru describes in detail as he presents Macbeth with the title of Thane of Cawdor. She then listens as Kaoru speaks in a hushed tone, clearly meant only to her.

“Glamis and Thane of Cawdor… the greatest is behind… but these are two truths told and one one the rise… if chance may have me as king- why chance may crown me so!”

Offhandedly, as Kaoru begins to prepare the scene closure, indicated by the oncoming quiet of the forest sounds, she wonders what part the real horror begins. Of course, she knows that no decent horror story begins right in the horror. There’s always a sense of calm in the stories she’s read, the movies she’s watched that paint everything in the ordinary. One solitary act usually is the catalyst that draws things down toward the dark part of the plot, and Rimi’s willing to guess this part is what leads into that downfall.

As it progresses, it seems that’s the right guess. Kaoru details for her as the story eventually shifts to the one on one between Macbeth and his wife. Where Macbeth questions, his wife seems to spur into action, and Rimi listens intently as the ambient soundtrack shifts to sudden silence, and then into something reminiscent of the horror film soundtracks she would watch.

“If we should fail!? Where now is your courage Macbeth? We shall not fail…” Kaoru’s voice tapers off, and Rimi doesn’t quite know what to expect, but it’s not Kaoru’s voice so very close to her side speaking in a hushed tone.

“For when Duncan yet sleeps, we shall entreat his two handmaidens...I shall steal them away to entreat of them wine, enough that they shan’t remember the night...in the while, you shall enter the room, wake not Duncan as you draw nearer and nearer until at last- you plunge thine knife into him and leave you the room with a crown ‘pon your head.”

The scene progresses again, idle conversation between Macbeth and that companion of his until all at once, Kaoru goes quiet. Rimi can hear as the other girl quietly steps forward, and then again as her knees hit the ground in front of her, and when she opens her eyes she confirms as much. Kaoru kneels there, a hand on her knee as she looks up to Rimi.

“Is this a dagger which I see before me? The handle toward me hand? Come, let me clutch at thee…” Kaoru’s hand draws forward, reaching not for some hidden prop, but for Rimi’s hand, and is given it eagerly, watching with rapt attention as Kaoru lowers her gaze, something solemn for the mood, and gazes upon it. “I have thee not, yet I see thee still. Art thou not, fatal vision, sensible to feeling as to sight?..” She continues on, monologuing for Rimi to her hand as she proceeds to hold with more reverence. Her other hand comes up to trace at the back of Rimi’s hand, some kind of design she doesn’t recognize as she drones on until so suddenly it makes her jump, the deafening ring of a bell draws her attention.

“It is time.” She speaks in time with the bell tolling, and Rimi can count it down. One ring- two, three- “I go, and it is done; the bell invites me. Hear it not Duncan, for it is a knell.” Four, five and six go on in the midst of her sentences. Seven and eight draw out the silence and then on nine: “That summons thee, to heaven or hell.” Ten, eleven. Finally it hits twelve, midnight so to speak, and Kaoru looks up to her so suddenly, Rimi’s eyes widen in surprise. The final bell tolls, and as though on a timer (it likely was) the lights are killed and Rimi can’t see a thing. She squints, leaning her head forward as though it might help her but there is still nothing.

Kaoru’s hands leave her hand, and she is left alone for a fraction of a second as the speakers around the stage play a hair-raising tune. Like the drums from early, but they’re slowly picking up tempo, and then the sound of violins joins in, volume raising as they do in horror movies that lead up to one tense moment. In her head, Rimi can see the imagined version of Macbeth sneaking into King Duncan’s room, the glimmer of the dagger he spoke to catching the moonlight as he gets nearer and nearer to the bed. The sound is deafening as that Macbeth takes a firm grip over the knife, raises it high above his head and holds it for a second. The music dies out so suddenly that Rimi’s hands clench down waiting for some kind of culmination she knows will not happen, and Macbeth brings his blade down. But instead of an impact in her head, Rimi feels a gentle hand on her shoulder and gentler still are the lips that tentatively press against her own from the darkness and this close, she can see the silhouette as Kaoru backs off, back into the darkness.

The light all but blinds her when it comes on, and Kaoru stands before her and maybe for a second, Rimi can see the blush on the older girl’s cheeks before she turns away and quickly heads for the sound panel.

The rest of the play flies by, and the horror aspect only grows. Rimi’s in enraptured by the descriptions of Macbeth and his wife’s arguments, the slow descent into madness. She had wondered earlier when the horror nature of this play would be revealed, but she revels in it now, wishing only to listen on as Macbeth orders for the death of those who he once trusted, feeling her heart race in spite of itself as he orders murderers out after Banquo and his lineage. When it is confirmed that he is dead, and the subsequent detailing as Banquo’s ghost haunts over Macbeth, she wishes she could see the play in action, watch some kind of movie retelling of the action if only to see how they would do so.

The culmination of the play, Kaoru speaking in so distraught a tone as she exclaims that Macbeth’s wife has ended her life out of the guilt, the final confrontation with the sound of fighting playing loud over a darkened stage. When the lights come on again, it is silent and Kaoru stands before her and raises a hand to her chest. With a flourish, she bows before Rimi and when she stands upright again, the bassist rushes forward to hug her. Her earlier kiss is not forgotten, and as Kaoru returns the hug firmly Rimi looks up to her expectantly.

“...that was incredible… and your um… improvisation I really liked.”

Kaoru’s smile is wide, and she chuckles quietly. “My dear, I’m glad you enjoyed it… I only hope i was able to do it justice for you” With that, she leans down, intent on giving Rimi another soft kiss to which she responds pleasantly.

“However… I believe I am a little over my time here. Maya will be back any moment, so would you allow me the honor of walking you home?”

Rimi returns it with a gentle smile of her own. She’d been apprehensive going into this date, worried for several reasons but this? This was much better than she could have ever thought. She squeezes Kaoru’s hand tightly and nods.

“Of course… we can plan a… a second date on our way.”

“I think I’d like that.” Kaoru steps off to the side, sweeping a motion out towards the door. ”Shall we?”

“...We shall.”


End file.
